UFC 304 is scheduled for another night full of great fights and exciting match-ups that are highly awaited by fans especially those who ar using bonuses for NJ bettors to place their bets. This article focuses on the betting odds and breaks down some of the fights and offers predictions on who will come out on top.
Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad
The main fight of the evening at UFC 304 will be for the title where Leon Edwards (22-3) will face off against Belal Muhammad (23-3, 1 NC). Edwards is the big favorite here and the numbers are in his favor given his record. Edwards has not been defeated since December 2015 when he claimed the welterweight title against Kamaru Usman and in August 2022 with a head kick knockout.
Belal Muhammad also has a good record, with no loss since January of 2019. The no-contest on their records came from their previous meeting in March 2021 where the fight was stopped due to eye pokes by Edwards. The first round of that fight was in favor of Edwards according to the MMA outlet Sherdog.
The odds of the fight are reasonable, especially because it will happen in England, which is the country where Edwards has been residing since the age of nine, thus, he will have more supporters. Edwards is great at knockouts and takedowns, with a total of seven knockouts and technical knockouts. He also practices Brazilian jiu-jitsu and has a black belt and has a good takedown defense, meaning that it is hard for the opponent to take him down.
Muhammad likes to keep the pressure on his opponents by throwing a lot of punches, but like Edwards, the majority of his victories have been by decision. Both are known to be great strikers but this fight is anticipated to happen mostly on the stand-up category. Edwards’ reach and striking accuracy can be the deciding factor in another victory for him to keep the belt.
Tom Aspinall vs Curtis Blaydes
Tom Aspinall and Curtis Blaydes are set to go head-to-head in a heavily anticipated Heavyweight fight. Aspinall, the interim heavyweight champion, has a record of 14-3 with 11 wins by knockout or technical knockout. Due to his knockout strength, Aspinall has a record of 10 wins out of last 11 fights and six out of seven victories in the UFC were first-round finishes.
Their last meeting was in July of 2022 and the fight was stopped in the second round after Aspinall got injured. But Aspinall has reclaimed himself and has won over Marcin Tybura and Sergei Pavlovich both of which he won within 90 seconds and was crowned interim heavyweight champion.
The 30-year-old Blaydes is the #4 ranked heavyweight fighter with an 18-4 record, out of which he has 13 knockouts. The American wrestler has also displayed heavy knockout ability due to his wrestling experience. Blaydes defeated Aspinall via TKO in round one but was knocked out in round one by Sergei Pavlovich in 2023 and then submitted Jailton Almeida in round two in 2024.
Judging from the speed at which Aspinall has returned and the fact that he has knockout power, he is favored to stand as the winner, possibly doing so in style with another KO. Blaydes is rather vulnerable to knockouts which can be a big issue in this fight.
Paddy Pimblett vs Bobby Green
Pimblett comes into this fight as a +160 underdog whereas his opponent Green is a -192 favourite in the lightweight division. Pimblett who has good submission skills is expected to try and bring the fight to the ground to avoid standing and trading with Green. It is another striking dynamism; Green is a counter puncher with a low guard who lures opponents and hits them from unusual positions.
Pimblett, who is nicknamed ‘The Baddy’ has become popular due to his persona and his fighting skills that integrate boxing, Muay Thai and kickboxing. Although he is famous for his kicks, his winning strategy involves taking the fight to the ground and using his grappling skills.
Bobby Green, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, has more knockouts and technical knockouts than submissions, hence making him very versatile and a threat to his opponents. This is due to his flashy and unconventional manner of fighting alongside his counterpunching skills which will pose a problem to Pimblett.
Thus, in order for Pimblett to get a victory over Green, he has to use his wrestling and not let Green get the better of him in the stand-up game. Thus, Pimblett can fit the ground control and submissions to Green’s weaknesses and maybe get a big win.
What You Should Know When Trying to Predict a Winner in the UFC
To predict a winner in UFC fights one has to consider several factors that can determine the final result. Firstly, the fighters’ performance of their last bouts and their current records should be looked at; if a fighter has been winning or has recently won a bout then they are said to be on a roll. Break down the fighters’ strategies and their particular specialties such as the strikers and the grapplers and how they stand in relation to each other. The physical features of the fighters like reach, height and weight also define the basic advantages and disadvantages of the fighters. Also, it is necessary to consider cases of injuries or lay-offs that may smooth out a fighter’s performance. The location of the fight may also play a role, since a fighter from the specific city tends to be supported by the audience and, therefore, encouraged. Last but not least, understanding the Fight IQ of each contender that is the fighter’s intelligence in adapting and planning while in the fight can also be of significance in making the predictions. All these factors combined help in planning a better output of the fight’s results.
